62 Sporting Sketches 



Staid robins bounced along the grass in measured 

 hops, and now and then a liquid fluting and a flash 

 of orange and ebon betrayed the Baltimore. 



In time we reached a portion of the road where 

 ancient woods opened but a narrow track for our 

 passage, and where great trees locked arms above 

 our heads. Banks of blossoms, like lingering drifts 

 of tinted snows, were piled in careless masses here 

 and there, and from the cool, moist shades came 

 breaths of incense shaken from tiny censers swing- 

 ing above cushions of moss and from drooping 

 boughs. Once a scarlet splash, against a wall of 

 green, rested a moment, like a cardinal flower, then 

 darted into friendly cover the first tanager. 



In time the silver of Erie's restless breast flashed 

 in front, and we drove down to the wet line of rip- 

 ples upon the sand, and thence for miles along the 

 beach, to where the sand-spit narrowed to fifty yards, 

 and the Eau lay on our left and Erie on our right, 

 so near that one might cast a stone from one to the 

 other. 



A rough little fishing-shanty furnished temporary 

 shelter for our weary horse, and he was soon made 

 comfortable. Then we lifted out gun-cases, shells, 

 and waders, and prepared for sport. While Larry 

 was changing his foot-gear I unlocked the oak gun- 

 case, and had barely got the " twelve " together 

 when a storm of " black-hearts " drove down on us, 

 flying but a few feet above the water. I had just 

 time to shove in one shell, and as they passed about 

 twenty-five yards distant, I stopped a few and pro- 

 ceeded to gather them up. When I returned, Larry 

 was hot all through. He had forgotten his keys 



